Results of Fibro Scan.

[sandrooney]

Just got results of my first Fibro Scan . F4 ... Only got to talk to the NP's assistant and she had no input other than the number. Can't talk to the NP till next week she was out of the office.
Any input from the forum would be greatly appreciated. I am a little freaked. EOT was almost 2 months ago and I was undetected. Biopsy in 04 showed F2 to 3 out of 4 . Biopsy in 07 showed F2 out of 4.
Thanks a lot
SR

[gnatcatcher]

sandrooney, this is probably nothing to worry about. An F4 FibroScan result covers a huge range of kPA values (a far larger range than any lower fibrosis category), so you might barely have crossed over from F3. Also, FibroScan scores can be off if you didn't fast for at least three hours before the test (longer may result in a lower kPA score), or if your ribs are close together such that a ping or two hit a rib instead of the liver, or if you have a lot of abdominal fat.

Before treatment, I had a FibroScan one day and a FibroSure (blood test) two days later. The FibroScan put me at F4, but the FibroSure result was F2. Also, the longer I've been cured, the lower my FibroScan score has gotten.

Being F3 or F4 does mean getting an ultrasound every six months for peace of mind, but unless your hep doc has detected any other reason for a cirrhosis label, you may actually be more like an F3, and you may find your F score dropping the longer you stay cured.

Gnatty

[sandrooney]

Thanks gnatcatcher. That will help me sleep better till I can talk to my NP next week. As a matter for fact when the girl was doing the Scan she had to call a more experienced person in cause my ribs were to close together for her to feel she was getting an accurate reading. So the rib thing could be an issue.
I am not going to worry much about it .
Thanks again
SR



 

[gnatcatcher]

My ribs make life difficult for them, too. They now remove the pillow and tell me to curve myself like a banana in order to widen the gaps.

A few other things about FibroScans I forgot to mention:
1. There is more than one wand available, so I hope they chose the appropriate one.
2. Operator inexperience has been cited as affecting the accuracy of the results.
3. There's one setting the operator has some discretion over. The only reason I know this is because I told the operator who was about to do my first post-treatment scan that I hoped I would score below ___ (I forget the kPa value) because then the hepatologist would be returning me to my PCP for follow-up. I came in just slightly above that value, so the operator said she was allowed to nudge a setting slightly. She did so and did a whole new set of readings. That brought me slightly below the target value, but the joke was on me, because the hepatologist decided he wanted to see me again anyway

Have a wonderful Sunday!

[Lynn K]

Any idea what your platelet count is? Often people with cirrhosis will have platelet counts well below normal

[sandrooney]

Sorry Lynn. I am out of town and can't get to that info right now. I will be home next week and look it up. IIRC the platelets were a little low but that could have been the treatment.

[Lynn K]

Ok no worries

I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in Jan 2008 by liver biopsy. My Fibroscan was 27 in October 2014.

My platelet count had been in the 80 to 90 range before treatment now after treatment it has risen to about 110 which is still well below the normal minimum of 150 but improved so that is a good thing

Safe travels

[sandrooney]

Hi Lynn,
I just got back and looked up my PLT count. EOT they were 100. Before treatment they were 74.
Thanks,
SR

[Lynn K]

So without knowing anything else and I am not a doctor I do think you may have cirrhosis but that is best discussed with your doctor.

As Gnatty has said some here have improved after treatment but even so I have been living with cirrhosis for over 9 years. It just means you have to be careful and have your blood testing and abdominal ultrasound done ever 6 months. One can live a normal life with cirrhosis especially with cure of hep c.